


The Second Crack

by TheDarkOne121



Series: Trucy's Awakening [2]
Category: Persona 5, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Execution, Game Shows, Gen, Magic, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Showcase of Sorrow AU, Trucy is suffering again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22024654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkOne121/pseuds/TheDarkOne121
Summary: Okay, by all accounts, this was a bad idea. An absolute bad idea that would make Uncle Edgeworth do his infamous tsk at her. Then he’ll call Daddy so he can give her one of those talks that will bring her spirits down and she’ll feel bad for the rest of the day.Good thing that Uncle Edgeworth isn’t in Shibuya and Daddy’s busy dealing with that stupid Prosecutor Ritchi at the moment, leaving her to be able to go through with this idea.Then again, there is the matter of the Phantom Thieves but she’ll worry about that later.(After frequent visits to Mementos, Trucy decides it's time to help her new friends deal with that creepy Prosecutor doppelgänger.)
Series: Trucy's Awakening [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576906
Comments: 21
Kudos: 24





	1. The Show Is Canceled!

**Author's Note:**

> The second installment of the crossover series is here! I am literally pouring out content so fast, this has never happened before.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who gave kudos for the first installment of this series! Again, shoutout goes to HaloRocks1214 for giving me the inspiration. Also, heads up, the palace in this story was heavily inspired by Danganronpa so expect a lot of references to be made.

Okay, by all accounts, this was a bad idea. An absolute bad idea that would make Uncle Edgeworth do his infamous tsk at her. Then he’ll call Daddy so he can give her one of those talks that will bring her spirits down and she’ll feel bad for the rest of the day.

Good thing that Uncle Edgeworth isn’t in Shibuya and Daddy’s busy dealing with that stupid Prosecutor Ritchi at the moment, leaving her to be able to go through with this idea.

Then again, there is the matter of the Phantom Thieves but she’ll worry about that later.

Trucy took a moment to look at herself in the mirror again. Her outfit was something simple for doing something active; a yellow tank top, blue shorts, black leggings, and some red shoes. Perfect for the place she’s about to go to.

Oh, but first, she needs to get her backpack and her trusty sword. Can’t go to Copycat Kristoph’s Palace without them.

Once again, Trucy looks at herself in the mirror with her additional accessories. Smiling with self-satisfaction, Trucy heads out of the hotel room, locking it behind her and putting her sword in a place where the public can’t see.

It was when Trucy steps out of the hotel and found herself on the train to the Courthouse that she began to have second thoughts again.

This was a bad idea. Her new friends would probably blow a couple of blood vessels when they see her in that world after specifically telling her not to go. However, whenever thoughts like that took over her mind, Trucy was quick to remind herself that she needed to do this. It didn’t feel right to stay behind when she has the chance to save Daddy.

Besides, that would make all that stuff she did in Mementos was for nothing.

Ever since her little trip to Mementos by herself, Trucy couldn’t take her mind off of what transpired there, particularly the magic circle she was able to summon. Sure, she always said - jokingly - that she would like to do magic like in movies but she never thought that would actually happen.

Eventually, Trucy decided to just visit Mementos again so she can practice her newfound abilities. At night, Trucy would be awakened by the sound of the Siren - that never really went away - singing to let her know that Daddy was asleep right before she grabs her phone and head into the Cognitive World.

It’s honest to say that Trucy was able to understand a few things while she was there, like how her magic circle was very responsive to what she wanted it to do. For example, if she wanted to protect herself then her magic circle was a barrier. If she wanted to attack then her magic circle would send out these projectile blasts. If she wanted to go somewhere higher, her magic circle would act as some form of stairs. Not that Trucy wanted to disrespect her dead grandfather but boy, was he wrong about magic circles being used for summoning magic only!

Not only was she able to find certain new abilities with her magic circle, but Trucy was also able to do more magic without it. Like, summon her own weapons from a hammerspace, manipulating cards for all kinds of card tricks, and her favorite one; illusions. Most of these illusions took the form of blue sparkles in the shape of what Trucy had in mind but if she concentrated hard enough then they’ll look real enough to possibly fool somebody.

Every night, Trucy could feel her excitement grow with each visit at the endless possibilities of what she could do. It was like everything she ever wanted for the magic to be; a fantasy made real. Then again, Futaba did say that the Cognitive World is based on someone’s view of the world, which probably explains why she has this magic in the first place.

_ But still, _ Trucy frowns as a thought she tried to push in the back of her mind came forth.  _ If that place where I go to is my cognition of a training grounds for magic, then how did that Shadow get there? _

Ah, yes, that Shadow. After her first visit to Mementos, Trucy had not seen the Masked Sheep - her little nickname for the Shadow since she refused to tell Trucy her real name - in her other visits. At first, Trucy felt frustrated that the Masked Sheep would just say all of these awful things and then go away without any sort of explanation but as the days went on, Trucy realized that she didn’t hate the Shadow for what she had done.

Sure, that whole talk left her feeling horrible on the inside and made her cry but that crying felt… Good. Like actually good. It brought a weight that she didn’t realize was on her shoulders off, giving her a chance to breathe easily. After realizing that, Trucy had also realized why the Masked Sheep did what she did; to let all of her frustrations out where nobody could see her.

Trucy wanted to find the Masked Sheep again so they could talk. About what, she had no idea. But still, she would like to talk. But between helping Daddy, her new friends, and her regular visits to Mementos, Trucy couldn’t find the time to look for the Masked Sheep.

And here she was, on the train to the Courthouse so she can help the Phantom Thieves with her Prosecutor Problem.

_ The Masked Sheep will have to wait, _ Trucy thought as the train came to a stop.  _ Right now, Daddy needs me and so does everyone else. _

With thoughts of the Masked Sheep out of her mind, Trucy took a deep breath to steel herself before walking out of the train. 

* * *

Going to the Palace again sent a shiver down her spine. The first time she came here, Trucy was horrified by the things she saw; betting on whatever someone was guilty or not, giving the defendants gruesome executions, and the fact that Prosecutor Ritichi saw all of this as a game. A game for people to enjoy.

Then again, his keyword for his distortion was  _ Game Show _ . It just goes to show how little he viewed his own job. Thank goodness he’s not a prosecutor under Uncle Edgeworth’s job. Otherwise, his fate after this would be way worse.

Trucy blinks at the familiar flashing lights before her. She stood in front of a building covered in neon lights. It reminded her of that line in Shrek where the short person was obviously compensating for something. Daddy never really told her what exactly that line means and Polly and Athena were too scared to say anything about it. 

It probably means that someone is trying to show off. That’s how it sounded in that sentence.

Besides, that giant neon statue of Prosecutor Ritichi definitely speaks volumes of compensation.

Trucy sighs. Now wasn’t the time to think about this prosecutor's obvious self-worth issues, focus on helping the Phantom Thieves. There was a crowd in front of the building and they all look like normal people, so Trucy can guess that they’re Ritichi’s cognitions of an audience coming to see his show. Maybe she can walk in there and she can blend in-

_ “Good evening, my good people!” _ Trucy’s head snaps up to see a large TV screen appearing right in front of the audience, showing off Shadow Ritchi in that horrible outfit of his.  _ “While I know this is sudden to have my lovely face presented so early to you fine people, I’m afraid we seemed to have hit a snag backstage. But don’t worry, the problem has been quickly solved before it could escalate it any further.” _

Huh, so something must have happened backstage. Before Trucy could make any guesses, Shadow Ritchi continued.

_ “Now, with that out of the way, time to show off today’s defendants!” _

The screen then switched to what appears to be a giant birdcage swinging rather precariously over a moat filled with giant piranhas. Excited gasps could be heard from the crowd in front of her but Trucy could only feel anxiety coursing through her as she tries to see who was in the cage.

_ “I’m sure you are all quite familiar with them; they love to show themselves through flashy cards and their ideas of stealing one’s one heart. Put your hands together for the Phantom Thieves!” _

A spotlight was suddenly on the cage, allowing the audience to see what poor soul will become victim to this awful. Cheers and screams of utter exhilaration rang through the air - Trucy was glad that she didn’t have Athena’s super hearing at this moment - but Trucy could feel her breath getting caught in her throat when her eyes land on the familiar wacky costumes she’s come to known.

Laying there on the cage’s ground was the Phantom Thieves, unconscious and completely unaware of the danger they were in.

Well, poopie. This complicates things. 

* * *

Blending in the crowd of fake people to get into the building without detection was the easy part for Trucy. Trying to move away from the seating area and going backstage was a lot harder because there were so many security guards roaming around. Luckily, that problem was quickly solved when Trucy ever so slyly put a magic circle underneath their feet and made them fall through it like a trapdoor.

She’s not going to lie, hearing them scream and flail around before they disappear was absolutely hilarious. It was like Polly whenever he was helping her with her tricks and he always had the best reactions.

Polly…

She quickly shook her head from those thoughts. Now is not the time to be focusing on old memories. Her new friends were in danger and she has to do something about it. Besides, if Ryuji’s  _ very _ vulgar language was anything to go by, the others were up and she doesn’t have a lot of time.

Trucy slowly tiptoes her way onto the catwalk, making sure not to alert the Shadows on the other catwalk below her. Honestly, if it weren’t for the Ritchi’s ridiculous outfit and the staff here look like something out of a horror movie, Trucy would’ve thought this was a regular game show. But then again, games shows don’t involve gruesome executions that kill their guests as punishment.

If somebody allowed a game show like that to exist then Trucy has lost all faith in humanity.

**_“Ladies and gentlemen!”_ ** Trucy instantly ducks down the moment she heard Shadow Ritchi’s voice, no longer through a speaker but up close to point the warping sound came back.  **_“Sorry for the delay again but one of our defendants was putting up a fuss backstage.”_ **

“Screw you, asshole!” a familiar voice cried out and Trucy held back a snort when the audience gave out gasps like they were scandalized by what they just heard.

**_“You see?”_ ** this time the audience laughs, making Trucy shake her head at this guy’s ego. She leans over a bit to see what was below her other than the creepy shadows. There was Ritchi, standing under the spotlight in the middle of the stage. She bets the cage where her friends are isn’t that far away.

**_“Now, let’s get on with the show, shall we? Phantom Thieves, you are currently standing under trial for attempting to shut down this fine establishment. Do you deny these claims?”_ **

“We’re only trying to shut it down because you’re a petty coward who couldn’t handle a defense lawyer being better than you so you tried to blackmail him and his daughter to win!” a voice that sounds like Morgana retorted.

**_“That sounds like a confession to me, folks!”_ ** Ritchi announced with this child-like glee in his voice that made Trucy want to cringe. What’s worse, his audience was feeding him with their applause.  **_“You all know what this means, everyone!”_ **

“It’s punishment time!” the crowd cheered like the fangirls at Klavier’s concert, their screams were so loud Trucy was sure she’s going to be deaf by the end of this.

Wait, did they just say it was punishment time?

Okay, time to start the show.

“BOOOOORRRRRRIIINNNG!” she shouted as loud as she could while she stood up from her previous crouch position. Judging by the gasps from the audience below her she had got the reaction she wanted.

“You’re skipping right to the climax as soon as the show started? That’s bad story-telling if I say so myself!” Trucy continues with her spiel, hoping that she got Ritchi and the audience's attention enough to move their focus away from the punishment. “Sorry, Mr. Ritchi, but I’m afraid this show needs a new manager!”

**_“Who’s up there?!”_ ** Ritchi’s enrage voice echoed up to the catwalk. Trucy ignored the shiver that went down her spine as she summons a magic circle in front of her, ready to transport her to the location she wanted.

“That voice…” Yusuke’s words were drenched in disbelief.

“What’s she doing here?!” Makoto demanded.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Trucy announces with a small swipe of her sword. “Allow me to present the opening act for today’s show!”

Without another word, Trucy runs into the portal before the shadow workers - who were coming towards her - could grab her. She blinks for a moment and when she opens her eyes, she sees that she is now on the stage, facing a crowd that has a look of pure shock on their faces.

Wow, tough crowd.

**_“You?!”_ **

“Trucy?!”

The startled cries of her friends and her tormentor made Trucy turn to face their jaw-dropped her expressions. Well, for her friends, the looks on their faces were absolutely hilarious - don’t get her started on Morgana - but Ritchi’s… It reminded her of Kristoph’s face when they mentioned the Jurist System.

Why did he have to have another thing to remind her of that horrible dead man?

Still, Trucy flashes him her signature stage smile and bows dramatically before her audience.

“Magical Girl Trucy Wright, at your service! And I’m afraid your show is canceled!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who are curious to learn more about the SHOWCASE OF SORROW AU, I'm going to be posting information and art about it on my Tumblr. You can check it out on the link below!
> 
> https://thedarkone121.tumblr.com/
> 
> I hope you all have a good day and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	2. The Second Crack Appears!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow, this chapter took way longer than I expected! This was, like, almost 15 pages on Google Docs! Phew! Sorry for the wait, everyone!
> 
> So, this chapter was supposed to be nice and simple. Just getting through the palace and Trucy having another breakdown in the midst of it. But it got longer, as you can tell by the length of your scroll bar.
> 
> But hey, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter either way!

At once, the security guards formed around her in a circle. Plenty of them carried batons that sparked with electricity that will probably hurt if they touch her. Trucy immediately gets out of her bow and into a fighting stance with her sword.

 **_“Trucy Wright,”_ ** Shadow Ritchi growls as he took a couple of steps closer to her. **_“If I remember correctly, you’re supposed to be talking to your father into giving up his defense in my game.”_ **

Trucy giggles and flashes him her tongue. “Sorry! I guess I woke up too late to stop him from going to the Courthouse today. But hey, you didn’t tell me you were having this cool little game show running around here.”

The Shadow growls.

“So I figured, why not get in on the fun? Besides, every good show needs an antagonist to go with it. Which is why I’m going to free the Phantom Thieves and put an end to your game!” She gave a quick swipe with the sword to emphasize her point.

 **_“How dare you speak such blasphemy to the great Ritchī Ritchi!”_ ** One of the security guards, possibly the head guard, snarls. **_“You should be punished for these transgressions!”_ **

“Leave her alone, you bastards!” Ryuji shouted as he tried to pry the bars open with his bare hands.

“Can’t you get this open, Mona?!” Ann asked the cat creature, who was clinging onto the bars to reach the only lock their cage had.

“If you guys could help me, then maybe I could get this open faster!” Was the response from Morgana.

 **_“Silence!”_ ** Ritchi screamed with a giant flourish of his glittery cape - seriously, the glitter was enough but why add the white fur on the collar?! - before he turned his gaze back to Trucy. He had a look on his face that sent a chill down her spine.

He was smiling at her. Why was he smiling?

 **_“You’re right, my fellow companion; Trucy Wright_ ** **should** **_be punished for her actions,”_ ** Trucy could feel the smile on her face wavering from the dangerous glint in his golden eyes behind those fancy sunglasses. **_“In fact, she has committed plenty of crimes within this beautiful court of law; disobeying orders, bringing in false evidence, breaking and entering, and threatening destruction on our sacred building!”_ **

His proclamation manages to stir the audience into shouting out their opinions once again.

“Yeah, punish her!”

“Burn the witch!”

“She should’ve known better than to go against the great Ritchi!”

Trucy stares at the audience calling for her head in disbelief. While she knew that these were only images based on Ritchi’s messed up view on people, Trucy won’t deny that there were people who enjoyed these types of things secretly. That’s how dark the world was.

She knew this. She’s always been aware of this.

Yet, why did she find herself freezing when her eyes met the vicious glares of the crowd? Why did it fill her with this icy dread that rendered her completely immobile? Why was the sword in her hand trembling?

Why was she suddenly standing in court instead of the twisted game show? When did the seating area for the stage turn into the gallery?

_“Here comes the liar! The deceitful witch!”_

The voices…

_“Hurry up and convict her already!”_

Why were they accusing her?

_“Just give ‘er the death penalty!”_

SHE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG-!

The pain made itself known to the back of her head before her whole world fell to darkness. 

* * *

There was a dull pain in her skull when she woke up. Trucy groans, wondering if this was the headaches she usually gets when her nerves get the better of her. But as she went to lean back against the pillow underneath her, Trucy realized one thing; it wasn’t a pillow she was leaning against. It was too thin and too hard for it to be a pillow.

Trucy’s eyes snapped open.

Immediately, she regretted that when bright lights hit her directly in the eyes, causing her headache to grow. She shuts her eyes tight and decides to just wait out her headache.

**_“Ladies and gentlemen!”_ **

Trucy winces at the feeling of her eardrums being torn in half. Okay, maybe her headache won’t go away for a while. Resigning herself for the pain, Trucy slowly opens her eyes, blinking rapidly to get her vision back while wondering how bright did Ritchi needs these spotlights.

“Trucy!”

That was Futaba’s voice. Once her vision cleared and she sees the familiar seating arrangement of a theater, Trucy was reminded of where she was and began to move around to find the cage her friends were in.

But then she was met with the sensation of rope digging into the skin of her wrist and the realization that she couldn’t move.

**_“Welcome to today’s first execution; The Burning of the Gramarye Witch!”_ **

She was tied to a pole and standing on top of logs, high enough for everyone in the audience to see.

“Hey, bastard!” Ryuji’s voice shouted over the audience’s cheering. “Your fight is with us! Let ‘her go!”

 ** _“All who disobey the laws of this beautiful Court must be punished,”_** was the reply from that awful man Trucy couldn’t see due to her position. **_“And it just so happens that the little witch’s crimes were far higher than yours. I mean, I’d expect the Phantom Thieves to cause trouble. But from my own contestant? Sorry, but Ms. Wright has to pay for her civil disobedience.”_**

She was sure the others had voiced their own forms of protest but everything started to blur together, her hearing becoming fuzzy as Trucy registers a tightness in her chest. Ritchi was going to burn her alive. Burn her like a witch, all because she was not following this horrid man’s orders.

Trucy thought about the Salem Witch Trials and couldn’t help but make comparisons.

She was going to burn.

She was going to burn.

She was going to burn.

_“Burn! Crumble! Fall to my furious flames! The Great Mr. Reus will bring an end to you all!”_

At once, the logs she was standing on were lit. The flame rose swiftly from the bottom, eating away at the wood one by one. Though her vision blurred from the tears building up, Trucy could see her death getting closer and the hideous black smog floating in front of her face as the tightness within her grew tighter from the lack of air.

If she doesn’t burn to death, then she’ll die from suffocation.

The fire was getting closer. She tries to pry her hands loose but the ropes were just too tight.

The fire was getting closer.

Wait, she was an idiot! She could just teleport out of this situation with her magic circle-

The fire was getting closer.

...Why wasn’t her magic circle showing up? It usually shows up so easily for her! Why wasn’t it-?!

The fire is centimeters away from her shoes.

Trucy lets out a scream. 

* * *

**_“Are you really giving up?”_ **

Trucy slowly lifts her head up at the sound of someone talking. After screaming herself hoarse, Trucy felt her body giving up. Whether it was from the lack of air or the realization that she couldn’t escape, Trucy’s body had slumped forward, ready to accept the fate of this cruel world has in store for her.

But that voice instantly brought her back to reality.

Trucy opens her eyes to see the fire almost touching her foot, merely centimeters away like the last time she saw it. However, even though the fire was there the flames were not moving. Like somebody pressed paused on the TV remote.

She lifts her head higher, her eyes landing on the audience who cheered for her death. Their excited sneers and raised fist were frozen just like the fire. If she could see them, Trucy was sure that the Phantom Thieves and Ritchi were not moving as well.

Why was she the only one moving?

**_“After all that time practicing in your own world of Mementos, you’re just gonna give up because you couldn’t handle a bunch of pathetic people’s sneers?”_ **

That voice… It sounds like-!

Trucy looks down to her left and sees the Masked Sheep on the stage, standing close to her pyre. Even though she couldn’t see her eyes, Trucy finds herself gulping at the feeling of the Shadow staring at her so intensely.

 **_“Those people are nothing!”_ ** the Shadow roars, swiping her hand at the frozen crowd with a giant flourish of her cape. **_“They’re just sad illusions of this man’s pitiful mind to fuel his distorted ideas! If you fall victim to them, then you’ll fall victim to that man. Is that what you want?!”_ **

Fall victim to Ritchi? No, her answer is obviously no. If she did that, then that would mean she’s letting Kristoph Gavin win, even if he is no longer here to do more physical harm.

**_“Then why are you letting him get away with this? You know you can escape your bonds; you are a magician! Those ropes are nothing compared to your magic!”_ **

Well, yeah. She can teleport out of these bonds if she has her magic circle. But it’s-

 **_“Excuses!”_ ** The Shadow screams, almost to the point of hysterical. **_“You know you can get out of this, just like how you knew Roger Retinz didn’t win against the Gramaryes at your trial!”_ **

W-Wait, what?

**_“That man played you for a fool but you got your revenge. Do the same with Ritchi; get mad, have your revenge, don’t forgive him for the pain he’s caused you!”_ **

_CRACK!_

...

She was right.

“You’re right…” She whispers, tears streaming down her cheeks but she feels like she can finally breathe easily for the first time. The Masked Sheep was in front of her when she looks up, pointing a black-gloved finger at her. “I’m done giving people like him exactly what he wants.”

Trucy could imagine the Shadow smiling at her as she lowers her hand. **_“You know what to do.”_ **

She nods her head. There was no need for words.

Then the whole world resumes. 

* * *

**_“What the-?!”_ ** Shadow Ritchi sputters as his yellow eyes look upon the mysterious hooded figure standing so close to the pyre of the Gramarye Witch. **_“Who are you?! You’re not part of the show!”_ **

The Masked Sheep barely spares him a glance before lifting her cape to reveal a crouched Trucy Wright to the audience, her sword in hand and her glaze set.

“She’s alive?!”

“How did she do that?!”

“Somebody kill the witch!”

Truc stood up, the audience’s jeers and calling for her death were nothing more than words in the wind for her now. She shoots the Shadow a smile. A real genuine smile.

“Thank you.” The Masked Sheep shakes her head, much to the young Magician’s surprise.

 **_“We’re still busy, you know,”_ ** and then she gestures her head to the left. Trucy looks over and finally understands.

Prosecutor Ritchi did not look happy. If that black and red aura surrounding his shaking form didn’t give it away, then the way his hands were gripping his cane was enough.

 **_“You accursed brat!”_ ** suddenly, the air around him explodes and Trucy was no longer staring at Ritchi’s Shadow but at a giant wheel of fortune with these large cartoon eyes - they oddly remind her of that duck in _Looney Tunes_ \- staring down at her with its spirally yellow pupils. **_“You’ll pay for this!”_ **

“Trucy!” said girl jolts. Right, she almost forgot about her friends, who are still trapped in that birdcage. “His cane is the Treasure! Get that!” Futaba shouted.

Her eyes immediately scan the machine of monstrosity, hoping to find the cane she was him hold not that long ago. Eventually, she did find it; in the form of a lever at the top of the wheel. Just great.

 **_“I’ll keep him distracted, you get your friends and the Treasure,”_ ** the Masked Sheep informs her before she snaps her black-gloved fingers.

At once, these man-sized cards were at her side. One appeared so close to Trucy that it startled the girl into stepping away from her shadowy friend. Once she got over the question of how her Shadow friend was able to do this, she gave the Masked Sheep a nod before hiding behind one of the cards.

If this goes where she thinks it’s gonna go, then this was going

 **_“Shall we play a game, Prosecutor Ritchi?”_ ** the Masked Sheep asked. Before he could reply, she snaps her fingers again.

Suddenly, Trucy found herself on top of the cage. The sudden change of locations nearly threw the young magician off but with a quick flail of her arms, she was able to keep herself from tumbling off the cage and breaking a lot of bones.

She looks back down to where the Masked Sheep was keeping Ritchi busy with the giant cards and was surprised to see them moving back and forth between the two, acting almost like a barrier for her while being shuffled at the same time. The whole scene reminded her of the card tricks magicians typically use.

 **_“Inside one of these cards is Trucy Wright, your defendant. If you are able to pick out which card she’s in then you’ll win the game. If you pick the wrong card then you’ll have to face the penalty.”_ ** The Masked Sheep explains, her voice loud and grand, almost like hers when she’s about to start off her next trick.

Which means she needs to get going.

“Guys!” she shouts as low as she could to avoid gaining Ritchi’s attention. When she sees them looking around for her voice, she calls out again. “Guys, up here!”

They all look up in unison and their eyes noticeably brighten when they see her. Ryuji looks like he wants to scream her name out of glee, forcing her to quickly bring a finger to her lips to silence him. He flinches when he realizes what he almost did and flashes her a quick thumbs up.

She smiles. In a lot of ways, Ryuji reminded her of Polly. Not quite as loud and way more vulgar but the resemblance was there.

 **_“Pick your card,”_ ** the sound of the Masked Sheep’s voice brought her back to reality. This was a bad time to be thinking about memories. She needs to get them out of there before Ritchi notices her.

_Just think about the magic circle underneath their feet. Just think of the magic circle getting them out of there. It’s like the flex of a hand, Trucy, this should be easy-_

Multiple undignified shouts brought her out of her thoughts and before she knew it, a large weight was on top of her. Her own undignified cry escaped her lips as she was forced to lay on her stomach from the sudden weight on her back.

Though, judging by the ginger hair and black tailcoat in the corner of her vision, she can easily guess what landed on her.

“Next time, warn us when you decide to do that,” Akira’s strained voice whispers into her ear and she nods. Maybe she should stick to teleporting herself instead of others.

 **_“W-What the-?!”_ ** Trucy snaps her head up to see all but one card on the ground, the one facing forward for Wheel of Monstrosity to see and judging by the sound of gears creaking loudly, he was spinning around. Possibly out of frustration.

 **_“Guess you pick the wrong card,”_ ** the Masked Sheep shrugs even though the Shadow in front of her was raging up a storm.

**_“You brat! She was behind that card! I saw it!”_ **

But the Masked Sheep ignores his defense and points her finger at him. **_“Time for the penalty; the cost shall be your Treasure!”_ **

Next thing Trucy knew, Akira had lifted himself off of her and was making a flying leap towards the man-turned-machine, his stance almost like a swan dive. Thankfully he was able to stick his landing and pull the cane out of the wheel with ease, like Arthur with Excalibur.

 **_“M-My Treasure!”_ ** The wheel began to spin, slowly before it eventually sped up, forcing Akira to run on top of it like a treadmill on the highest setting. **_“Give that back!”_ **

“Trucy!” He throws the cane with the force of a baseball player’s arm in her direction. Her eyes grow wide when she sees the glittery white cane flying towards her at an unreal speed. She instantly shoots her arms hand, hoping to catch the flying projectile.

It hit her hand and fumbles with it a few times but she caught it. That was good enough.

“Good catch!” Futaba praised her and Ryuji slapped her in the back. Trucy could feel the heat rise in her neck.

“Now that we got the Treasure, we can finally deal with Ritchi,” Makoto glares down at the Wheel, who is still forcing Akira to do a suicide drill on top of him.

“Stay behind us Trucy, we’ll handle him this time!” Morgana ordered her as they all leap off the cage. The moment their feet landed on the stage, blue fire surrounded their bodies before they transformed into these humanoid creatures. Personas, they called them.

It was fascinating to see them fight. It was like a magic show right before her eyes and she had no idea what tricks they’ll pull next. Granted, this fight didn’t seem to have that much pizzaz like the other ones, maybe due to the fact that Ritchi wasn’t putting much of a fight. Those large eyes were downcasted, almost dejected, and he wasn’t spinning as fast anymore.

For Akira, it looks like a good thing considering he was finally able to jump down from the monstrosity and join in the battle with his awesome-looking Persona.

A part of Trucy wonders if she could have a Persona like them.

Something moved out of the corner of her eye. She looks down to see the Masked Sheep now standing by the cage but she was facing the battle before them. Well, judging by how her head jerks every now and then, Trucy can guess that she’s looking at the Personas.

Right, Personas came from the Shadows. Trucy didn’t know how Shadows personally felt about Personas, considering that’s who they become - their evolution form, in Pokemon terms - but they were much more violent and chaotic than someone’s Persona.

But with the way the Masked Sheep was looking at them, Trucy could detect a hint of longing from her. Did she want to become a Persona?

 **_“I give…_ ** ” Trucy looks up in time to see Ritchi, back in his human form, bowing down on his knees, his forehead nearly touching the floor. **_“Please, no more…”_ **

“Don’t you have someone to apologize too?” Akira turns his head towards her and Trucy took that as her cue to jump down.

She walks forward, her friends parting away as if she was someone from royalty as she makes her way to the pathetic form of the man who harmed her, who almost caused her death mere moments ago. Her eyes remain on him the entire, wide and blank even as she comes to a stop in front of him.

As if sensing her imposing presence, Ritchi hesitantly brought his head up to meet her gaze. His glasses were cracked and his hair was disheveled. It reminded her of Kristoph’s appearance in the aftermath of his breakdown.

The only difference between them is Ritchi’s look of defeat and devastation on his face while Kristoph’s was full of hatred and denial. Denial of his own defeat. Trucy wonders if he was still in denial even when he was executed.

 **_“Forgive me, Trucy Wright,”_ ** Ritchi’s trembling voice brought her out of her memories as the man returns to put his head on the ground, unable to meet her blue eyes anymore. **_“I’m so sorry for blackmailing you and threatening your father’s career. If there’s anything that I can do to make it up to you, please, tell me…”_ **

Make it up to her? This was not what Trucy expected this to go. She expected a fight, someone who wouldn’t admit their wrongs until the end. To see this guy, a physical copycat of Kristoph Gavin, begging on his knees for her forgiveness was something she wasn’t prepared for.

But then she thought about what he did to her, the fear he made her go through, the anxiety she felt from being used to hurt Daddy again. Even if he and Kristoph Gavin had different reactions to defeat, she wants them to suffer from this.

And when she talks, almost no emotion could be detected. Not even Athena’s ability to hear emotions could pick up her next words.

“I want you to go up to the courthouse, right in the middle of the trial you’re prosecuting against Daddy, fall to your knees and confess every. Single. One of your crimes. Everyone in court will know what you’ve done, everyone all over the world will know what you have done. And you’re going to face whatever punishment the world decides for you and you won’t put up a fight against because you know you deserve it.”

She then bends down so she can look at him in the eye, even though he still kept his head down while his body trembles with each word that came out of her mouth.

“And you’re gonna have to live with the knowledge that the little, childish, greenhorn girl that you tried to blackmail into helping you win your case is part of the reason why you’re about to face retribution for crimes, every day of your life. Got it?”

At that, Ritchi broke down entirely.

It was so unlike Kristoph’s maniacal laughter; the trembles overtook Ritchi’s body as he sobs to his heart’s content with his hand on his face to hide whatever dignity he had left. Ugly sobs that reminded Trucy of a newborn’s first cry into the world. A part of Trucy felt a small amount of pity for him, only because he knew that this was over.

It’s something like this that reminds Trucy that Ritchi is not exactly like Kristoph. She never felt pity for the Devil.

Trucy stood up just as Ritchi’s body was enveloped in a bright glow. Contrary to the previous black and red aura that was filled with malice and desperation, this one felt light, safer, and filled with resignation. She watches as the Shadow of Ritchī Ritchi dissolves into the air, his sobs of surrender echoing in her ears just as the tears that were building up finally broke through.

She felt the familiar skinny arms of Futaba wrap around her waist and she tries to return it the best she could, awkwardly wrapping her arms around the other girl’s shoulders as she finds herself sobbing as well.

It was over.

“You did good, Trucy,” Futaba whispers to her in the midst of her weeping, her grip becoming tighter but not constricting. “You did great…”

Yeah, she did.

“And as for you,” Morgana’s sharp voice manages to cut through the haze she was beginning to surround herself whenever she started to cry. She looks up to see every Phantom Thief, sans Futaba - who still hasn’t let go of her - looking at the Masked Sheep with eyes filled with cautiousness and distrust.

“W-Wait!” Trucy quickly shot her arms out to defuse the whole situation. “I know what this looks like but-!”

Her words were cut off by the trembling of the ground beneath her feet. “W-What was that?!”

“Shit! We forgot to tell you that Palaces collapse whenever we get the Treasure!” Ryuji yells, he and the others trying to keep their balance as well, if the fact Futaba was still clinging onto her was any indication.

Wait, did Ryuji say that Palaces collapse? Like Indiana Jones style?

“Mona, quick! Turn into a-!”

The sound of a cape flourishing through the air - how the heck it was louder than the sound of a building collapsing in on itself, Trucy would never know - cut Ann off before she could say what she wanted to say. Next thing Trucy knew, her entire world became darkness.

_Hold on a second, this is just like-!_

The sudden shift from going to one place to another hit her all at once when the ground under her feet was no longer trembling. Thankfully, it wasn’t like the trip to the birdcage where Trucy had to fight for her balance as she remains perfectly still on the new ground, despite feeling slightly nauseous.

“W-Whoa!”

“Ahh!”

“Blergh!”

“W-What an unpleasant experience…”

Although judging by the sounds of Ryuji and Morgana retching nearby and how Futaba fell to her knees but still kept a strong grip on her waist, it seems like the Phantom Thieves weren’t dealing with the shift as well as she was.

“Are you okay?” she asks once she sees the dizzy spell leave from their eyes.

“Honestly, we could be better…” Ann’s tired voice spoke for the rest of them since the others look a little too green to answer.

“I actually prefer your method of teleporting over that,” Akira, as always, makes a quip to get them laughing - even though laughing looks like the last thing Ryuji and Morgana want to do right now.

Trucy’s chuckling dies down when she notices the Masked Sheep standing not so far away from the group. It was when Trucy turned to look at her that she noticed the fog covering the bottom part of her cape and familiar sense of darkness surrounding the young magician.

They were in her Mementos.

Morgana finally stumbles to his feet, his stance wobbly but his glare towards the Masked Sheep is fierce. “Alright, you have a lot of explaining to do! What are you doing with Trucy? How did you manage to get into another Shadow’s Palace? Not to mention you shouldn’t have so much power in another person’s cognition!”

His words spurns the other Phantom Thieves to get into defensive stances, ready to attack when necessary. Akira even took out his knife and pointed it at the Masked Sheep for good measures.

“Guys, wait!” prying herself free from Futaba’s death grip, Trucy runs forward until she’s in-between them with her arms out just in case her new friends started to attack her Shadow friend. “Look, I get she’s a Shadow and I know they’re bad news but she’s been helping me! It’s because of her that I was able to harness my magic in the Metaverse!”

Trucy had hoped it would calm them down. That they could talk about this like normal people and the Masked Sheep hopefully won’t get obliterated like the other Shadows - but then again, if she’s still around then that means someone is probably suffering as they speak, sorry someone - but something in their expressions stirred something weird inside her.

They were looking at her like she doesn’t know something. The answer was as clear as day to them but to her, it was just a cloudy day. They see something that she can’t and they’re wondering why she can’t see it. Their questioning eyes were starting to make her squirm on the inside.

“Trucy…” it was Makoto who spoke up, her tone nice and even but matching the realization in her eyes. “You haven’t noticed it yet, have you?”

Trucy scrunches her eyebrows together. “Noticed what?”

“Her voice, Trucy,” Yusuke spoke up. “Doesn’t her voice sound familiar to you?”

Her voice? Other than the usual wrapped, distorted, second voice that all Shadows seemed to have, Trucy really didn’t notice anything odd about it. Was there supposed to be something that she should’ve noticed by on her friend’s voice-

That’s when it hit her.

Her friend’s voice. The Masked Sheep’s voice. Her mind flashes back to whenever she had a conversation with her and instantly it clicked; the voice was familiar. Underneath the distortion, the voice was deathly familiar.

She just didn’t recognize it since she’s never heard that voice sound so monotone, calm, not even so angry to the point of hysterical before.

Her own voice never sounded like that before.

Immediately, Trucy whips her head around to face the Shadow as if she could give her an answer or a confirmation to what she’s just realized. The Masked Sheep stood in the same position she was in the first time Trucy looked at her; standing up straight like a statue, the black eyes of her mask staring into their souls, and the mysterious fog covering the bottom-half of her body.

She didn’t say anything to the look in Trucy’s eyes. In fact, she didn’t even say anything when the Phantom Thieves started to make accusations toward her or even when they revealed who she was. She just stood there, silently watching the pieces come together.

Did she want Trucy to figure out who she was?

The air around her suddenly shifts as the Masked Sheep’s shoulders dropped, so similar to someone who realizes they’ve been caught and have finally given up on continuing the act.

As if there was even an act in the first place.

 **_“Oh, well, I guess I’m caught,”_ ** her black gloves then took a hold of the mask that fits so perfectly on the face it rests on. **_“Time to reveal the grand plot twist for my wonderful audience!”_ **

Her tone was sarcastic. Trucy could never imagine her own voice sounding like this.

Before she knew it, the Shadow had already taken off her mask and pulled off her hood to reveal her face to the whole world.

And Trucy could feel all the air leaving her lungs just at the sight.

The first thing that pops into her mind when she sees the Shadow’s true form was that she’s looking at some knockoff of Harley Quinn. The blue-and-black cowl with the long tails were the most prominent features to the Shadow’s silhouette, then she notices the giant white ruff attached to the cowl, giving off this giant contrast to the dark colors she wore. The cape was still on her but it was now attached to the ruff. Originally, Trucy couldn’t tell what she was wearing due to the cloak but it was now opened slightly, giving her the chance to see the full-body suit with the same color as her cowl, the black jester skirt, and the pink galaxy-print on the inside of the black cape.

When she got to her face, Trucy could feel like she was staring at a stranger. Granted, the face and physical features were the exact same but her skin was never this pigeon post blue with a black teardrop marked on her left cheek. The black circles that were around her yellow eyes gave off the impression of someone who doesn’t sleep all that much and looks tired at the world yet, she was still able to keep that confident smirk on her lips.

Trucy could never imagine making such a look to her audience. Like she was the hunter about to make a move on her prey. Because honestly, Trucy had a feeling that dangerous glint in her Shadow’s eyes is directed towards the Phantom Thieves.

 ** ** _“Welcome to my show, Phantom Thieves!”_**** Her Shadow announces with a dramatic bow, though her tone was anything but welcoming. ****_“My name is Trucy Wright, the Jester of Despair, and this is my opening act!"_**  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLIFFHANGER! *laughs evilly*
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Don't be afraid to leave a comment, they always make my day! :)


	3. Her Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter guys! We're really getting into some fun parts. Surprisingly, this didn't take as long as Chapter 2, something that I'm actually happy about!
> 
> Anyway, we last left off with the Masked Sheep being revealed as Trucy's Shadow. We now will go into the aftermath of this situation.
> 
> It's not fun for all parties involved...

Trucy couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight before even as she felt gloved hands grabbed and pulled her away so that the Phantom Thieves were in between her and the Masked Sheep - no, her Shadow. That Shadow was hers, she had her face. Admittedly, she would never make that kind of smirk but she could still recognize her own face.

But if she had a Shadow, then wouldn’t that mean-?

_ Ah-ah-oh-oh… _

Her body stiffens. That was the Siren. Why was it calling to her now?

“Guys, these readings are off the scale!” Futaba’s urgent voice brought her back to the situation in front of her. “I-I can’t get any information from this!”

**_“Well, a good magician never reveals her secrets, Futaba,"_** her Shadow tsks as she waves a finger at her like a mother scolding her child for trying to get a cookie. **_“You should’ve known better than to try and spoil my act for everybody.”_**

Well, she’s not wrong about that part - a magician should never reveal their secrets, even if they are loved ones. But Trucy would never say it like  _ that _ .

“You came into another’s Palace despite the fact you appear to have a Palace of your own,” it was Makoto who started what appears to be an interrogation. “How were you able to do that and why were you there in the first place?”

“You planning on doing something to Trucy?” Ryuji demanded before the Shadow could open her mouth.

**_“Oh, please,”_** at this, the smirk falls away to this bored and tired frown. **_“If I wanted to do something to my Other Self, don’t you think I would’ve just let her burn on that pyre instead?”_**

Well, that was harsh. Then again, she thought back to her first conversation with the Shadow and remembered that any harm to her would not benefit her Other Self. How her Shadow wanted to meet the Siren that’s been singing in her head.

But what would happen if she meets this mysterious Siren?

“You shouldn’t have so much power!” Morgana shouted, his tone indicating that this whole situation was frustrating him to no end. “You’re just a Shadow! A being made from a distortion in Trucy’s heart! You should be  _ nothing _ without her cognition backing you up!”

Um, ouch? That was a cruel thing to say to someone, Morgana. Calling somebody nothing, even if they technically don’t exist, was horrible. Why would Morgana feel the need to say that? Now that she thought about it, Morgana had been nothing but hostile to her Shadow the moment he laid eyes on her. Sure, Shadows were probably pretty dangerous but this is _her_ Shadow, why was he being so mean?

A soft, but wicked, chuckle filled the air.

Trucy’s head snaps to her Shadow. The cognitive being had lowered her head to her chest, no longer giving them a view of her face. But her body shook with the chuckle that came from her lips, the tails of her cowl bouncing ever so slightly.

Then the chuckling grew into laughter. Then the laughter grew in volume and intensity. Soon, the foggy void was filled with menacing, patronizing laughter. Trucy could see some of the Phantom Thieves backing away and she couldn’t blame them. Anybody would back away if they heard this.

Trucy even found herself backing away and this was her Shadow.

But that laughter, that wasn’t her laugh. Trucy always saw herself as a heroine, a magical girl who fought against those who used their magic for evil. But listening to her own voice wrapped and laughing like a maniac, it made her realize that the laughter she’s hearing was not from a hero.

It was the laughter of a villainess. A laugh that belongs to somebody like Maleficent and the Wicked Witch of the West.

When did the fog here become so thick?

**_“_ I’m _nothing?”_** the Shadow took deep breaths, echoes of her laughter still present within her voice. **_“Oh, you silly kitty, I think our roles here are reversed. Shouldn’t I be telling you that? All of you?”_**

“W-What do you mean by that?” Yusuke spoke up, his voice trembling and yet it still stood strong.

**_“How exactly did your heist with Ritchi go?”_** That caught their attention. **_“Isn’t it frustrating? Waking up in the cage, watching somebody you know as a bystander about to get burned alive? I bet you all felt useless, didn’t you? Well, that’s what my Other Self felt like when you refused her help.”_**

W-Wait, what?

The Phantom Thieves whipped their heads to face her and Trucy couldn’t help but flinch back. Wait, why is she flinching? They’re her friends. But why do their looks of guilt bother her? Why was she backing up? Why was she trembling?

When did she step into a large body of water?

“Is that true, Trucy?” Futaba asked, her voice soft. “Did we really make you feel like you were useless?”

Her words got caught in her throat. She knew she should say something but what came out was just strained gasps as if she hadn’t drunk enough water. Her hands flew to her chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of her chest. But she’s not breathing. How is her chest moving?

_ Ah-ah-oh-oh… _

**_“Of course it’s true,”_** her Shadow snarls. **_“Why else would she follow you into the Palace in the first place? She went behind your back to learn more about the Metaverse just so she could be useful to you.”_**

Why…? Why was she saying all of this to them? Why? She didn’t want them to know about this!

_ Ah-ah-oh-oh… _

“Trucy…” hearing the pity in Fuatab’s voice makes her flinch.

“Hey, leave her alone!” Ryuji spoke up. “Who the hell gave you the right to talk about that stuff, anyway?!”

Another chuckle fills the air.

**_“I am a shadow… The true self… I’m the thing the real Trucy Wright would never say out loud. The thing that every negative thought is put into while Miss Magician gets to play Miss Nice-Girl in the real world. I don’t care if what I say is harsh; it’s what she thinks!”_ **

Shut up… Shut up…

“That doesn’t give you the right to just blurt it all out!” Ann protested.

Shut up. Shut up.

_ Ah-ah-oh-oh… _

**_“I’m a part of Trucy! And it’s her thoughts! I have the exact same amount of right as the real one has!”_ **

Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up-

“You really are a troubling shadow, aren’t you?” Yusuke mutters to himself.

“That’s it,” Akira spoke up, his tone firm. “You’ve caused enough trouble for Trucy and if you’re really this unstable then I guess we’ll have no choice but to take Trucy’s distorted desires and put an end to you.”

She chuckles.  **_“Oh, please. Come and take it if you can!”_ **

_ Ah-ah-oh-oh… _

“SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP!”

Her throat screamed those words before she could stop it. But then again, did she really want it to stop? Everyone was talking over her, creating this white noise inside her head. The Siren’s singing certainly didn’t help. Maybe she did just wanted them all to stop talking and let her get her head back in order.

So, she stood there, staring at her feet soaked in some water that mysteriously showed up as she took deep, slow breaths to calm her racing heart. After a few seconds had gone by, Trucy could finally feel her heart go back to its regular pace.

She also finally acknowledges the screams and the sound of rushing water in her ears.

She snaps her head up to see herself in what looks to be a glass container, keeping her safe from this sudden flood in the area. The Phantom Thieves didn’t seem so lucky as she sees their flailing bodies being swept away by a current. Her Shadow was nowhere in sight.

Trucy was all alone in her little barrier. Away from the world and left underwater. Somehow, it seemed fitting.

She sighs as she looks back down at the magic circle underneath her shoes - the thing that probably summoned the barrier. All of this was exhausting. First Ritchi’s threat, discovering her new friends’ secret identities, hearing the Siren, and now finding out she has a Shadow - something that her new friends thought as bad. Just listening to them treat her Shadow, something that was essentially part of her, with such hostility left an empty feeling in her chest.

Would they treat her the same if she acted like that?

Honestly, Trucy had no idea. She was just so tired of everything. She wishes everything could just stop and let her breathe.

**_“Then why don’t you do something about it?”_ **

Trucy yelps and whips around to see her Shadow standing a few feet away. Wow, this barrier was bigger than she thought.

**_“If all of this is bothering so much then do something about it,”_** the Shadow continues, her voice going back to that normal calm yet lecturing tone. **_“You’ve seen what the Phantom Thieves were able to do, you can do this just as easily.”_**

It took a few seconds for her Shadow’s words to finally click in her head.

“You want me to go to my Palace?” At the Shadow’s nod, Trucy continues, “Why? I thought… I thought Shadows who have Palaces didn’t want their treasures being stolen.”

**_“That treasure is a curse to my existence!”_** Trucy flinches back at the sudden harsh tone. **_“But that doesn’t matter at the moment,”_** her Shadow was back to her normal calm tone. **_“What matters is that you want answers, correct? What better way to get them than inside your own heart?”_**

Well, when she puts it like that… Still, why? Trucy couldn’t understand her Shadow’s behavior at all; first, she says things that make her feel horrible and relieved at the same time, next she acts really mean to her friends, and now she wants her to enter her own Palace.

What was going on inside her heart that’s messing up her Shadow?

“If I do as you say,” Trucy begins, looking up to meet the glowing yellow orbs that absorbed her every move. “If I go to my Palace, what should I do once I get there? It can’t be because you want me to steal the treasure, otherwise, you wouldn’t have acted hostile to my friends.”

Her Shadow nods.  **_“You’re right. I don’t want those petty thieves coming in to steal the treasure, that will go against my goals. What I want you to do is very simple; go meet the Siren inside your Palace.”_ **

“The Siren…” Trucy mutters. “It always goes back to this Siren for you. Why do you want me to meet it so badly? What even _is_ the Siren?”

**_“The Siren is the key to everything. It is the provider of your answers and my only salvation. Whatever doubts you have you must dispel them immediately, we both will benefit from the Siren no matter what.”_ **

They both benefit, huh...

Trucy still shook her head. “But during our last meeting, you said I had a long way to go before meeting it!”

This seems to take her Shadow aback. For a moment, Trucy never thought she would see that type of expression on her Shadow’s face when nothing appeared to surprise her until now.

**_“You’re right,”_** the Shadow agreed, surprisingly. **_“You’re still not ready to meet the Siren, aren’t you? There’s still one more obstacle in your way from doing that. Let’s try and fix that, shall we?”_**

She snaps her fingers and immediately Trucy feels the ground tremble underneath her feet. Suddenly, Trucy could feel the sensation that she was moving upwards, almost akin to going on an elevator.

Before she knew it, the sensation stopped.

“TRUCY!” A voice from behind her screamed out, nearly scaring Trucy out of her wits. She looks over her shoulders to see the Phantom Thieves, safe on a dry piece of land after getting swept up by the waves, waving their arms at her. Well, all of them but Futaba.

The orange-haired girl was just staring at her, with a look Trucy couldn’t identify due to her big goggles covering her face.

“Trucy, quick! Get over here!” It was Morgana who yelled, his eyes frantic. The others seem to share his sentiments; all of them urging her to run, get away from her Shadow, to come over to them where she can be safe.

Safe… They want her to be safe…

**_“It’s your choice,”_** Trucy looks back to her Shadow, who now had her back towards her. **_“You can go back to the Phantom Thieves, let them take your heart and be done with all of this. Or you could go to your Palace, ready to meet the Siren and have all of your answers. The choice is yours and yours alone.”_**

The choice was hers, huh? Two paths were set out in front of her; the safe path and the path that leads into the unknown. If she goes to the Phantom Thieves then that would mean she’s letting them fix things for her and everything will be put behind her or she goes into the Palace, not knowing what to expect from there. Both of these choices will affect somebody, no matter what she does.

It all comes down to what she wants. Her friends saving her or running into a place filled with possibilities.

Then the answer finally came to her.

She looks back over to the Phantom Thieves and takes a step forward.

The look of relief in their eyes was so heart-wrenching.

“I’m sorry!” She calls out, watching the dread slowly replace the relief. Unable to bear the looks in their eyes any more, Trucy turned on her heels and ran.

She ran past her Shadow, who did nothing when Trucy made her decision.

She still ran even when her friends began to call for her, begging her to come back.

She still ran even when she realized she was running on the water. Magic circles were popping underneath her feet as a form of stepping stones for her to run on. But Trucy didn’t care.

She didn’t care about anything other than she had to run.

It took Trucy nearly running into her hotel room’s door that she finally stopped. Completely out of breath, Trucy could do nothing but stare at the door in bewilderment. When did she get back into the real world? And shouldn’t she be at the courthouse instead?

Oh, who cares? The day’s been stressful enough, why worry about something as silly as this?

_ Ah-ah-oh-oh… _

“Yeah, I hear you,” Trucy says as she fumbles with her key before opening the door. The moment the door was shut, Trucy ran to her bed and limped into it immediately.

Ah, finally something soft she can rest on.

Trucy laid down with her head hitting the pillow, completely ignoring the fact she was still wearing shoes. As her blue eyes landed on the ceiling, her thoughts began to drift towards the Phantom Thieves and their reaction to her choice.

If Trucy was being honest with herself, she felt bad doing this to them. This was their territory and her Shadow had obviously frightened them. She almost entertained the idea of letting them fix whatever was going on with her heart the moment her Shadow gave her the chance to choose.

But the more she thought about it, Trucy realized that she couldn’t accept their help. If she did then that would mean she was running from her own problems. Problems that grew so out of control that it was hurting her Shadow. Her reaction to the treasure spoke enough volumes.

No, Trucy was done running. If she wants to fix things then she’ll have to fix them on her own.

She took her phone out and stared at the red app with determined eyes.

It doesn’t matter if the Phantom Thieves don’t approve of this, the choice was hers and hers alone.

It will always be her choice.

She taps on the app and the navigation pops up in an instant.

Well, no turning back now.

“Trucy Wright,” she said.

_“Candidate found,”_ a robotic voice answered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may the end but the fun has only just begun!

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who are curious to learn more about the SHOWCASE OF SORROW AU, I'm going to be posting information and art about it on my Tumblr. You can check it out on the link below!
> 
> https://thedarkone121.tumblr.com/
> 
> Hope you all have a good day and stay tune for the next chapter!


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